Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Oksana Shynlova, Lubna Nadeem, Anna Dorogin, Sam Mesiano, Stephen J. Lye
Summary: This study demonstrates that the selective progesterone receptor modulator, promegestone, can effectively prevent term labor and bacterial endotoxin-induced preterm birth in mice.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Developmental Biology
Lia Karina Volpato, Suchita Nadkarni, Veronica Vargas Horevicz, Nathalia Donatello, Gabriel Oscar Cremona Parma, Daniel Fernandes Martins, Anna Paula Piovezan
Summary: This study investigated the levels of inflammatory and pro-resolving mediators in women undergoing labor induction in late-term pregnancy. The results showed that induction failure was associated with higher levels of ANXA1 in the trophoblast.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Karla MacDonald-Ramos, Rodrigo Vega-Sanchez
Summary: The study analyzed the relationship between maternal adiposity and inflammation-related gene expression in various types of leukocytes in six healthy pregnant women. The findings showed that increasing maternal adiposity correlated positively with genes related to activation, migration, infiltration, and proinflammation in maternal and placental leukocytes, but negatively with migration and infiltration genes in choriodecidual leukocytes. The results suggest that maternal adiposity may play a role in priming peripheral leukocytes and altering leukocyte recruitment and proinflammatory activity in pregnancy.
MOLECULAR GENETICS & GENOMIC MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ines Benmessaoud, Margot Jamey, Barbara Monard, Jean-Patrick Metz, Aude Bourtembourg-Matras, Rajeev Ramanah, Didier Riethmuller, Abdellah Hedjoudje, Nicolas Mottet
Summary: This study analyzed labor data from 349 women with a term, singleton, and breech fetus to examine the pattern of labor progression in breech presentations. The study found that labor progression in breech presentation can be divided into a latent and active phase. Parity had a significant impact on the active phase, while the type of breech did not seem to influence the cervical dilation rate when adequately managed.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Brahm Seymour Coler, Oksana Shynlova, Adam Boros-Rausch, Stephen Lye, Stephen McCartney, Kelycia B. Leimert, Wendy Xu, Sylvain Chemtob, David Olson, Miranda Li, Emily Huebner, Anna Curtin, Alisa Kachikis, Leah Savitsky, Jonathan W. Paul, Roger Smith, Kristina M. Adams Waldorf
Summary: Preterm birth remains a significant cause of infant morbidity and mortality, with limited therapeutic options despite 50 years of research. The global need for better tocolytic agents is particularly urgent, with newer therapeutics targeting inflammatory checkpoints for more effective tocolysis. However, regulatory hurdles and a small market for new PTB therapeutics have hindered pharmaceutical interest in this area.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Manuel S. Vidal, Ryan C. V. Lintao, Mary Elise L. Severino, Ourlad Alzeus G. Tantengco, Ramkumar Menon
Summary: Survivors of preterm birth face various disabilities, and addressing the rates of low birth weight, neonatal and maternal morbidities and mortalities is crucial. Research has provided theories on risk factors and clinical manifestations, but there is a lack of biomarkers for early diagnosis. To overcome current limitations, an integrated approach studying the network interaction between different tissues and organs is needed.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Yali Shan, Shiping Shen, Jing Long, Zhengshan Tang, Cichun Wu, Xin Ni
Summary: The study reveals that there is an increase in inflammatory response, particularly from macrophages, during term and preterm labor. This inflammation plays a critical role in the initiation of parturition.
Review
Cell Biology
Dominique I. Cope, Diana Monsivais
Summary: The uterus plays a vital role in women's reproductive health, controlling essential processes such as embryo implantation, placental development, parturition, and menstruation. The progesterone receptor (PR) regulates reproductive function in mammals by controlling the transcriptional program in response to progesterone (P4). This review summarizes recent studies on the role of PR in decidua and myometrial tissues, discussing its specialized role in placental mammals and the efficacy of current treatments for preterm birth.
Review
Cell Biology
Emily A. McGlade, Akio Miyamoto, Wipawee Winuthayanon
Summary: This review discusses the role of progesterone in inflammatory responses, focusing on the oviduct and pathological conditions. Imbalance of progesterone may impact inflammatory responses in the oviduct, resulting in early pregnancy loss.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Emma E. Don, Anadeijda J. E. M. C. Landman, Guus Vissers, Ekaterina S. Jordanova, Emiel D. Post Uiterweer, Christianne J. M. de Groot, Marjon A. de Boer, Judith A. F. Huirne
Summary: Recent studies indicate that uterine fibroids increase the risk of preterm birth. It is hypothesized that fibroid necrosis may induce preterm birth through an inflammatory response, similar to spontaneous preterm birth. This new hypothesis opens up possibilities for future research and preventive strategies for preterm birth.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Meng Li, Zhenyu Huang, Zhi Tao, Yiting Meng, Jia Wen, Qiongqiong Zhang, Ying Liu, Mengyuan Shang, Ying Wang, Yufeng Wang, Rui Chen, Xiaoqian Wang, Yang Cao, Lei Zhang, Qinping Liao
Summary: This study compared the dynamics of lower and upper genital tract microbiota in normal term pregnancy, histological chorioamnionitis (HCA), and clinical chorioamnionitis (CCA) patients. The results showed that there was no significant difference in the vaginal and cervical microbiota composition among these three groups. Furthermore, some normal-term pregnant women can harbor non-pathogenic microbiota in the uterine cavity. Sterile inflammation is more frequent than microbial-associated inflammation in term HCA and CCA patients.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Philipp von Hundelshausen, Kanin Wichapong, Hans-Joachim Gabius, Kevin H. Mayo
Summary: The trafficking and local activity of leukocytes are essential for various physiological processes. Microenvironments are complex due to the multiple mediators from diverse cell types playing regulated roles. Chemokines and galectins represent important effector molecules involved in inflammatory processes and have the capacity to form various molecular interactions in response to inflammation.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sam Mesiano
Summary: Progesterone plays a crucial role in the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy through its interaction with progesterone receptors in uterine cells. The progesterone/progesterone receptor signaling pathway maintains pregnancy by promoting uterine quiescence and inhibiting labor contractions. The timely withdrawal of the progesterone/progesterone receptor block is essential for successful delivery.
JOURNAL OF STEROID BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zaida Abad-Jimenez, Sandra Lopez-Domenech, Celia Garcia-Gargallo, Teresa Vezza, Segundo Angel Gomez-Abril, Carlos Morillas, Pedro Diaz-Pozo, Rosa Falcon, Celia Banuls, Victor M. Victor, Milagros Rocha
Summary: This cohort study explored the molecular mechanisms involved in energy homeostasis in leukocytes of obese subjects one year after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery. The surgery resulted in improved metabolic outcomes, reduced systemic inflammation, altered intracellular inflammatory pathways, enhanced autophagy/mitophagy markers, and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential.
Review
Immunology
Carlos Zamora, Elisabet Canto, Silvia Vidal
Summary: Patients with chronic inflammatory diseases often have cardiovascular risks due to persistent systemic inflammation and endothelial activation. Activated platelets are considered major players in this inflammation, although their role has become controversial in recent years. Platelets can release both pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators and modulate the function of circulating lymphocytes, monocytes, and neutrophils, but how they exert this dual role is not fully understood.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Guoli Zhou, Claudia Holzman, Yujing J. Heng, Mark Kibschull, Stephen J. Lye
Summary: This study aims to investigate whether maternal blood EBF1 gene-based microRNA transcripts can be used for detecting the risk of spontaneous preterm birth. Results showed that four EBF1-based miRNA transcripts in the third trimester of maternal blood were significantly associated with preterm birth.
JOURNAL OF MATERNAL-FETAL & NEONATAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Enrrico Bloise, Jianhong Zhang, Jittanan Nakpu, Hirotaka Hamada, Caroline E. Dunk, Siliang Li, Guinever E. Imperio, Lubna Nadeem, Mark Kibschull, Phetcharawan Lye, Stephen G. Matthews, Stephen J. Lye
Summary: The study aims to investigate the expression pattern of specific severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 cell entry genes, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 and transmembrane protease serine 2, in the placenta across human pregnancy and in paired samples of decidua and placenta in pregnancies complicated by preterm birth or preeclampsia compared with those in term uncomplicated pregnancies. The increased expression of these genes in the placenta in the first trimester of pregnancy compared with later stages suggests differential susceptibility to placental entry of SARS-CoV-2 across pregnancy.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Guoli Zhou, Claudia Holzman, Bin Chen, Ping Wang, Yujing J. Heng, Mark Kibschull, Stephen J. Lye, Eric P. Kasten
Summary: This study identified two EBF1-correlated long non-coding RNAs in maternal blood that were associated with spontaneous preterm birth, providing potential biomarkers for prediction, triage, and stratification of interventions.
REPRODUCTIVE SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Developmental Biology
Michael Yampolsky, Oleksandr Shlakhter, Dianna Deng, Smriti Kala, Sharon L. Walmsley, Kellie E. Murphy, Mark H. Yudin, Jay MacGillivray, Mona Loutfy, Caroline Dunk, Lena Serghides
Summary: The study suggests that HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy can lead to smaller placenta weight and area, which in turn are associated with small for gestational age births. HIV+ status is linked to a 6-fold greater odds of having placenta area in the lowest quartile.
Article
Immunology
Jianhong Zhang, Stephen J. Lye
Summary: Human CD56(+)CD3(-) NK cells can be divided into two subsets based on the expression of CD56 and CD16, each subset having distinct functional characteristics. During human pregnancy, CD56(+) decidual (d)NK cells accumulate at the maternal fetal interface to regulate placental immunity and development. CD16(+) dNK subset, with lower expression of NK activation receptors, shows a more robust response to cytokine stimulation compared to CD16(-) dNK cells, potentially playing protective roles in normal gestations and regulating decidual immune response.
Article
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Caroline E. Dunk, Marie van Dijk, Ruhul Choudhury, Thomas J. Wright, Brian Cox, Katherine Leavey, Lynda K. Harris, Rebecca L. Jones, Stephen J. Lye
Summary: This study suggests that the STOX1 Y153H gene mutation in the placenta may contribute to preterm birth and placental preeclampsia by affecting early utero-placental development.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Kalyanaraman Kumaran, Ghattu Krishnaveni, Kumar Gavali Suryanarayana, Manohar Prabhu Prasad, Antonisamy Belavendra, Stephanie Atkinson, Ramaswamy Balasubramaniam, Robert H. J. Bandsma, Zulfiqar A. Bhutta, Giriraj Ratan Chandak, Elena M. Comelli, Sandra T. Davidge, Cindy-Lee Dennis, Geoffrey L. Hammond, Prabhat Jha, K. S. Joseph, Sadhana R. Joshi, Murali Krishna, Kang Lee, Stephen Lye, Patrick McGowan, Pablo Nepomnaschy, Vivek Padvetnaya, Saumyadipta Pyne, Harshpal Singh Sachdev, Sirazul Ameen Sahariah, Nalini Singhal, Jacquetta Trasler, Chittaranjan S. Yajnik, Janis Baird, Mary Barker, Marie-Claude Martin, Nusrat Husain, Daniel Sellen, Caroline H. D. Fall, Prakesh S. Shah, Stephen G. Matthews
Summary: The study protocol describes a comprehensive intervention to reduce non-communicable disease risks in children through a village-based cluster randomised design in rural India. The multifaceted intervention includes measures to optimize nutrition, parenting programme, lifestyle behavior change intervention, and environmental pollution reduction. The study will collect various biospecimens to assess intervention effects and conduct intention-to-treat analysis and process and economic evaluations.
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Oksana Shynlova, Lubna Nadeem, Anna Dorogin, Sam Mesiano, Stephen J. Lye
Summary: This study demonstrates that the selective progesterone receptor modulator, promegestone, can effectively prevent term labor and bacterial endotoxin-induced preterm birth in mice.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Oksana Shynlova, Adam Boros-Rausch, Tali Farine, Kristina M. Adams Waldorf, Caroline Dunk, Stephen J. Lye
Summary: The study reveals the critical role of cytokines secreted by decidual and myometrial cells in activating inflammatory pathways leading to labor in humans. Targeting these pathways may provide potential therapeutic interventions for preterm labor.
JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Caroline E. Dunk, Lena Serghides
Summary: The use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in pregnancy is crucial for maternal health and has successfully reduced vertical transmission rates. However, reports suggest that women with HIV using ART during pregnancy may have higher rates of low birthweight and preterm births, particularly with the use of ritonavir-boosted lopinavir, which may affect placental and uteroplacental pathology.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Julian C. Gilmore, Md Tozammel Hoque, Wanying Dai, Haneesha Mohan, Caroline Dunk, Lena Serghides, Reina Bendayan
Summary: This study investigates the effect of dolutegravir (DTG) exposure on the functional expression of folate transporters in the placenta. The findings demonstrate that DTG exposure leads to a reduction in the expression of RFC and PCFT, as well as decreased folate uptake.
Article
Cell Biology
Adam Boros-Rausch, Oksana Shynlova, Stephen James Lye
Summary: This study investigated the mechanism of action of the broad-spectrum chemokine inhibitor (BSCI) FX125L on human myometrial smooth muscle cells. The results showed that BSCI prevented infection-induced contraction of uterine myocytes by inhibiting the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, the expression of contraction-associated proteins, and disruption of myocyte interaction with tissue macrophages. BSCI represents a novel therapeutic approach for preventing inflammation-induced preterm birth in women.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Wrivu N. Martin, Carol A. Wang, Stephen J. Lye, Rebecca M. Reynolds, Stephen G. Matthews, Carly E. McLaughlin, Christopher Oldmeadow, Trevor A. Mori, Lawrence Beilin, Roger Smith, Craig E. Pennell
Summary: Animal and human data show independent relationships between fetal growth, HPA-A function, and adult cardiometabolic outcomes. While the association between fetal growth and adult cardiometabolic outcomes is well-established, the specific role of HPA-A in these relationships remains unclear.
JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL ORIGINS OF HEALTH AND DISEASE
(2022)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Caroline E. Dunk, Matthew Bucher, Jianhong Zhang, Heyam Hayder, Daniel E. Geraghty, Stephen J. Lye, Leslie Myatt, Rinat Hackmon
Summary: This study found that complications of pregnancy caused by immune inflammation, such as preeclampsia and preterm labor, can lead to altered expression profiles of nonclassical human leukocyte antigens. The level of human leukocyte antigen G increases in pregnancies complicated by severe early-onset preeclampsia with small-for-gestational-age neonates.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY
(2022)